Exploring León: Day  02 & 03

Meaningful Moment

Several right off the bat: 

• Deb and I walked around Leone last evening to get something to eat but also just to take in the atmosphere of a vibrant Spanish City. 
• Stopped for paella. Very good.
• And today I'm sitting in a Churerría with authentic churros and chocolate and cafe con leche.
• On our wanderings through the back streets of a neighborhood, he came across two very interesting stores. One featured items like Venetian masks and quill pens. The other featured collectibles and trivia items like books from decades ago and tchotchke items and knick knacks.

Date	24 - 25 Jul 2026 (Friday -Saturday)
Total All Caminos:	2450 miles
Lodging (Deb & I):	Apartamentos MK77 Zuloaga @ € 361 day 2
Total Lodging:	€ 361
Airplane(s):
Total Airplane(s) / Trvl Insrnc:	$ 1000 / $ 199
Buses / Trains / Taxis & Rides (Deb & I):
Total Transportation:	$ 125
Food (Deb & I):	€ 50 D'Leon Paella € 15 groceries € 8 churros, chocolate and Café con leche € 10 Agua con Gas, Plaza de Concepción € 65 Restaurante Castrillo
Total Food:	$ 188

Random Thought of the Day

Shortly after noon, Deb and I stepped out to walk around without any particular goal in León. 

Walked around the Plaza Regla alongside the cathedral, and made our way towards Plaza Mayor, where we found a farmers market. Deb got some of the local cheeses. 

Then struck out for streets that looked like there were no tourists. It was nice to get away from the tourists.

Ended up at Plaza del Grano, a barrio gathering sure, for aguas con gas.

Our place to stay for four days ( MK 77 APARTAMENTOS): 

Roomy by Spanish standards

Small but convenient

On the Road / Notable memories

The name of the cathedral is the Santa María de León Cathedral (also known as the Catedral de Santa María de Regla de León).

Hard to believe, but in 2017, I was standing in this exact same spot, shortly to start my Camino Francés.

Catedral de León and Plaza de Regla

And the entirety of the plaza. Still early in the evening - about 8:30.

Our Neighborhood (barrio)

Outside our door. The cathedral is in the background.

Plaza de Concepción Farmers Market

Plaza de Grano: refreshment break

Afternoon break to rest

Following the old Roman walls of Leon, which encompass the old part of the city

With the cathedral in the background, starting our walk circumnavigating the old Roman laws

Just for scale

I'd say we spent about an hour walking along the walls, a massive fortification built by Roman soldiers in the red and 4th century

Outside the walls is modern Leon, and inside the walls is the old historic district

Traditional León Meal of Maragato

Deb and I wanted to take in a typical local meal. We had heard of the Leones stew called Maragato.

It so happens that when I was researching Leon, one of the top 10 recommendations was a restaurant by the name of Restaurante Castrillo. So we gave it a shot tonight. 

The Tradition of Cocido Maragato

Originating from the historic Maragatería region near Astorga, this hearty dish famously breaks all the conventional rules of dining by being served completely in reverse:

First (The Meats): You start by eating the heavy meats and pork cuts shown in your dishes. The very first phase (primer vuelco) of this distinctive regional feast, showcases an assortment of rich meats like chorizo, cured pork ribs, bacon (tocino), and stuffing balls (relleno).
Second (The Chickpeas): Next comes a round of buttery local chickpeas (garbanzos) served alongside cabbage (repollo).
Third (The Soup): The meal finishes light with a warm, rich noodle soup.

As the old local saying goes to explain the order: "De sobrar, que sobre la sopa" ("If anything is left over, let it be the soup"). It was a tradition born from traveling mule drivers (arrieros) who preferred to eat the protein first in case they had to quickly pack up and move. 

Late night view of cathedral as we walk back from our local Leon meal